I assume you're discussing how to announce the kata for competition. [By Announce I'm referring to both the words and the choice of opening movements involved.]

First you must find out if the tournament or group involved has a preference as to what competitors do. Likewise some schools train their students in a specific form of announcement, perhaps as a trademark of their students.

I've seen people win who don't announce their kata at all and let their actual performance do the speaking. I've seen people just announce the name of their kata. Some go into more detail and more elaborate choice of openings.

Personally I don't think the manner one does it makes any difference as long as the announcement doesn't overshadow the kata itself.

I've seen people win who don't announce their kata at all and let their actual performance do the speaking. I've seen people just announce the name of their kata. Some go into more detail and more elaborate choice of openings.

In my school we enter the ring, approach and pay respects to the judges. Then we state our name, our school name and the kata we will perform, and ask permission to begin. When it is given, we take an appropriate number of steps backward, never turning our backs to the judges, give our salutation as the opening to the kata, and begin. We end with the same salutation, and either wait at attention for the scores or back out of the ring, depending on how each tournament is being run. (Sometimes they score each person separately, and sometimes they allow 3 preformances, and then give scores to those three, and so on.)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sunspots: In my school we enter the ring, approach and pay respects to the judges. Then we state our name, our school name and the kata we will perform, and ask permission to begin. When it is given, we take an appropriate number of steps backward, never turning our backs to the judges, give our salutation as the opening to the kata, and begin. We end with the same salutation, and either wait at attention for the scores or back out of the ring, depending on how each tournament is being run. (Sometimes they score each person separately, and sometimes they allow 3 preformances, and then give scores to those three, and so on.) [/QUOTE]

When I'm judging kata at competitions, all I want to hear from the contestant is what kata they are going to do.

Things that realy put me off before the performance even begins (in no particular order of hatred) are:

(And all of these have happened.)

1. The guy telling me his name. (I don't want to know it.

2. The guy telling me which school he represents. (I couldn't care less)

3. The guy telling me the complete history of his style and the kata's numerous origins according to him and asking me to confirm I accept his historical protocols before he will perform.

4. A guy creeping around the full perimeter of the arena with his back straight and legs bent as if he was about to lay an egg.

5. A series of deep breathing exercises that make him sound like an ageing astmatic, working himself into a frenzy before he's even told me the kata he's going to do.

6. If he kneels down and starts taking off his gi top and then spends 5 minutes with some pseudo-ritualistic folding exercise, I know the performance is going to be crap. Once he's finished folding the gi and laying it to one side, I'm so bored I pay no more attention.

7. If the guy walks to within 6 inches of my face, looks past me, and then yells his kata name out at 120 decibels, I'm just as likely to smack him as give him a low score.

8. People who speak what must be a whole paragraph of Japanese. (At least it's meant to be) When this happened I asked the guy if he could translate what he had just said into english (Hey, I don't understand Japanese) at which point he said he didn't know Japanese and didn't know whatr he had said. While the guy was waiting in the middle of the arena I asked for his instructor who came over, and when asked for a translation, he couldn't provide it either. He also confessed that it wasn't Japanese but just sounded good so he taught it [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

So, if I'm ever judging you in a Kata competition, I expect the following;

1. Bow and walk onto the arena from the opposite side of the head judge. (You don't have to bow to the guy who's just performed before you.

2. Walk to where you want to start your kata from.

3. Bow

4. Announce clearly the kata you intend to perform. (I don't mind if 4 & 5 are swapped in order)

John, We were always tought that it was proper ettiquete in any MA when gretting another MA to introduce yourself, your Dojo and your intension. Your intention of course in the tournament would be the Kata.I do agree that all the other stuff is BS, your post made me LOL, I too have judged many tournaments and can relate, thier are some real characters in the tournament circle.

On some occasions, I have also presented my weapon to the juudges for inspection, as the rules have required it. (Safety thing, they want to make sure things are not falling apart, having loose grips, etc.) In this case I take a step forward if needed, be sure my blade is facing away from the judges, and drop to one knee to present it. When it is returned, I proceed as usual to begin the form.